<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Family Dinner with the Echani Handmaidens by cbrachyrhynchos</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22703914">Family Dinner with the Echani Handmaidens</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/cbrachyrhynchos/pseuds/cbrachyrhynchos'>cbrachyrhynchos</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Atris and the Echani Handmaidens [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars Legends: Knights of the Old Republic (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Family Issues, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Sex Talk, Short, Teasing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 03:28:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>969</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22703914</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/cbrachyrhynchos/pseuds/cbrachyrhynchos</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Six Echani Handmaiden Sisters reunite for a family dinner. The youngest is now a Jedi, the eldest is dating a Jedi apostate. Will the rest grow together or grow apart?</p>
<p>(Same characters as <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/17475251">Atris's Judgement</a>.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Atris/First Handmaiden</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Atris and the Echani Handmaidens [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1632982</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Family Dinner with the Echani Handmaidens</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I'm seeing a boy."</p>
<p>The family was falling apart and it was all the First's fault. She watched as the bite of food she intended to eat fell off her fork.</p>
<p>"Only one?" Theris the Third replied.</p>
<p>No, this had to be the Last's fault, Brianna's fault, the traitor's fault. The First glared down the table at Brianna, who already mastered the Jedi mind-trick of looking both smug and serene.</p>
<p>"Don't look at me, Erisi," Brianna said. "I'm just the half-sister, and you broke the circle."</p>
<p>"After you ran away with Surik."</p>
<p>"Five, Nikeli, could you please explain." Second, always the negotiator, interrupted First and Last's year-long squabble. Also, she was sick of both of them pulling rank in their own ways in these arguments. "Tell us about this boy."</p>
<p>"Well, Mical suggested that the Handmaidens develop some of the skills we didn't learn on Telos, so I've been taking piloting lessons. And Nefral is really nice and we've been talking."</p>
<p>"Fight-talking?" Three interrupted.</p>
<p>"No, I've been practicing my Basic and how to read humans. Mistress Atris ..."</p>
<p>"Just Atris," Brianna corrected to a collective groan.</p>
<p>Nikeli continued, "I don't think Atris is quite like other humans. She's really hard to read at times. But Nefral and I have spent a lot of time in simulator together and he asked me out to dine, and maybe see some entertainment together. But I said I would need to ask the family."</p>
<p>"Nikeli, we took an oath," Second said.</p>
<p>Four stepped into the conversation. "Nikeli and I were seventeen, barely old enough to commit to an oath that you wrote for us." Four was the level-headed anchor for the younger siblings and twin to Nikeli. Four was usually willing to jump to her more impulsive twin's defense.</p>
<p>"You could have objected."</p>
<p>"Secret base, north pole, dead planet, no living visitors for months," Third said.</p>
<p>Fourth picked up the argument, "And we just lost mom and dad. Mistress ... shut it Bri ... Atris gave us a home and protected us from the Sith, but she is a lot healthier away from Telos and with Erisi. And if Erisi can reinterpret her oath in that way, then why can't Nikeli do something new as well?"</p>
<p>"Hey, I like being a Handmaiden." Nikeli leaned back defensive. "We have Jedi and students to work with now. It's just a meal and a holo on my day off, just like we do as a family sometimes ..."</p>
<p>"So you have not fought and you have not fucked. What's the big deal?" Third said.</p>
<p>"Theris," Erisi said. "I caught your 'more than one' line."</p>
<p>"Ok, let's start this here and then take it to the mat if needed," Theris said. "I know you, Second, and Four have big hangups about our father's affair. And we spent way too much time taking it out on Bri ... yes Brianna ... sorry .... So, let's talk about sex, finally, rather than pretending that none of us are doing it because Atris groomed us to <em>her</em> interpretation of Jedi Scripture. Let's talk about how you and Atris are breaking that rule and have been rationalizing it with the 'not a real Jedi' line.</p>
<p>"Let's talk about how I gave up my lovers to become a Handmaiden. I disagree that celibacy makes me a better Handmaiden. I <em>love</em> some of my favorite sparring partners. I love the ones who give me their best for fall after fall. It's my prerogative as an Echani woman to take fighters of skill and honor as lovers.</p>
<p>"And if our esteemed Jedi Masters can agree to disagree about Bastila having a child, maybe we can disagree about how we want to be Handmaidens. Like a normal family. Now do you want to take that to the mat?"</p>
<p>"Yes, no, maybe later." Erisi stared at her plate.</p>
<p>"I love you sister, I am happy for you and Atris. That was a long time coming."</p>
<p>No one spoke or ate for a long moment. Second broke the silence, "I just got used to First having a lover, and now my younger sisters?"</p>
<p>"It's just a dinner and a holo show." Nikeli muttered.</p>
<p>"Yes, but can he fight?" Theris said.</p>
<p>"He has a district dejarik ranking!" Nikeli stood up.</p>
<p>"After dinner, Nikeli," Second warned.</p>
<p>"May I have a practice fight?" All eyes turned to Brianna. "We've been avoiding sparring since Telos. I'd like to..."</p>
<p>"I'll take your challenge, sister." Erisi stood. "Sarksehi rules, droid scoring, the most clean hits win." It's a game for squabbling children, or the first step in rebuilding trust after the normal rules had been severely broken.</p>
<p>"Sarksehi rules, droid scoring, clean hits." The First and Last bowed to each other across the table. It's a start.</p>
<p>"Sister Theris," Second nudged Three in the ribs. "Full contact, best of five bouts or knockout."</p>
<p>"Yeah, what do you want me to do this time. Dishes? Chaperone Nikeli?"</p>
<p>"No talking about your sex life at the dinner table for a month."</p>
<p>"Full contact, best of five bouts or knockout, but you said nothing about breakfast."</p>
<p>Four raised a hand for silence. "Before we clear the table and retire to the practice room, I have a couple of important questions. This is the first time we've all been together in a few months, and I think we need to discuss some business."</p>
<p>"First, if First is no longer First Handmaiden, with our love and blessing, does Second become First?"</p>
<p>She held up her hand to keep the silence a moment longer, "Second, if we invite Mmmmmmm Atris into these family affairs, can we call her 'sister?'"</p>
<p>"Ohhh, she'll hate that."</p>
<p>"Force be with us, Four, did you really just joke about both First and Atris?"</p>
<p>"Did she really manage to tell a joke?"</p>
<p>Maybe the family wasn't falling apart. But it was falling.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Order and familiar name.</p>
<p>First: Erisi: Former leader, now lover of Atris.<br/>Second: Second: Second in command and highly dedicated.<br/>Third: Theris: Loves to fight, among other things.<br/>Fourth: Four: The mediator of the family, twin to...<br/>Fifth: Nikeli: Youngest full sister, acts younger than her age.<br/>Sixth: Brianna: Half-sister and black sheep of the family. Now Jedi Knight. Playable companion character of KOTOR2.</p>
<p>Sarksehi Rules: A beginner's boxing exercise similar to Taekwando scoring.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>